re: SSS question (addenda) plus Giulietta prototypes

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The various iterations of the Superflow are not too well represented in my
books or in Road & Track, the only periodical for which I have a full run back
to before their beginnings. Superflow (without the 'I' suffix) was on the
cover of the November '56 R & T, along with three photos in the Turin show
report; it had the Duetto side gouge, opaque fins, a clear plastic hardtop
with top-center hinged windows over the front-hinged doors, and the clear
plastic front fender toppers which covered the tires, headlights, and
vestigial front fenders back to the doors, retained by something like Dzus
fasteners. It also had a tacked-on Alfa grill on the front of a tacked-on
fairing; all the other iterations of the Superflow simply had a wide, low
intake below the leading edge of the hull.

The January 1957 R & T includes the Paris show report with Superflow II.
Somebody had figured that in the wet tires throw dirty water, muddying the
headlights, plastic, and fenders, and the Plexi had been replaced with metal
fenders, the upper part of the fins had been replaced with red-tinted plexi
for better vision, and the Alfa grill and fairing had been deleted, and the
whole thing repainted (apparently red rather than the original white.)

The third manifestation was as an open roadster with twin headrests, probably
the car Biba wrote about. I remember seeing photos, but found no pictures or
dates this time- only a passing reference in an article. The fourth
manifestation was again as a coupe, with no fins, a very Duettoish tail, and
the previous top-hinged upper doors split into upper panels which slid back on
nylon rollers, and removable side windows - sidecurtains without the fabric.
That is the condition in which it toured the US, was driven by Ludvigsen in
New York (mostly in first and second gear, good for 66 and 93 mph), and now
resides in the Rosso-Bianco.

The Karl Ludvigsen article, "The Last of the Red Hot Alfas", is in the
February 1961 Sports Cars Illustrated. It (as one would expect with Ludvigsen)
is primarily about the car under the skin, and is the best account I have seen
of it. The 6C 3000 CM is sometimes considered a variant of the Disco Volante,
but really shares little other than a common derivation of the front
suspension from that of the 1900.

The Giulietta protoDuetto I mentioned was shown at the 1961 Turin show; it is
close to the Duetto final form, but much nicer, without the little compromises
needed for bumpers, sufficient headroom, and economical manufacture. It is
pictured on page 143 of the Anselmi/Boscarelli book on the Giulietta.

Paul Witek mentioned the Bertone Giulietta Spider prototype. It was designed
by Franco Scaglione, and there is a lot of "baby BAT" to it - the hindquarters
in particular are very close to the open version of the Sportiva. Two were
built, #1495.00002 and 1495.00004; Pininfarina built 00003, 00005, 00006, and
00007. 00007 was the first one shown publicly around the US, is featured in
all of the first road tests, and is now owned in the Pacific north-west by a
friend of the inimitable Tess (please correct me if I have the numbers screwed
up, Tess.)

The story that the reason Alfa built Spiders for those of you who like them is
that Alfa wanted Max Hofmann to sell Alfas, and Hofmann said he would IF Alfa
built a satisfactory Spider to go along with the Sprints and Giulietta
Berlinas. Alfa, wanting Hofmann's sales, had a few prototypes built and sent
him the Bertone/Scaglione 00002 and the Pininfarina 00003 for his review.
Hofmann picked the PF design and mandated a number of changes - dump the
wraparound windshield, add wind-up windows in place of the sidecurtains, clean
up the dashboard, do nicer bumpers, and so forth. The Bertone 00002 was then
sold here (one-offs were nothing special), Bertone 00004 was sold in Italy, PF
00003 was probably returned with Hofmann's corrections and I believe is in the
Alfa museum, 00005 and 00006 were variations probably for Hofmann's approval,
and 00007 was the one presented to the public at various auto shows, road
tested here, and wound up with Tess' friend.

If anyone can add or correct, please do -

John H.
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